Drawer slide construction



June 27, 1967 J. A. MULLIN DRAWER SLIDE CONS TRUCT ION Filed April 29, 1965 1 N VEN TOR. CIAME-S A M04 1. M5

19% firrafluegq United States Patent 3,328,106 DRAWER SLIDE CONSTRUCTION James A. Mullin, 1571 Harriet Lane, Anaheim, Calif. 92802 Filed Apr. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 451,778 4 Claims. (Cl. 312--341) This invention relates to means for suspending and guiding a movable drawer in an opening in a fixed support structure and is directed specifically to the problem of mounting a drawer in such an opening where the Width dimension in the fixed structure departs from the particular width dimension that is optimum for the given drawer.

The invention relates to the type of drawer suspension wherein a pair of channels with longitudinal flanges and a pair of rollers are arranged on each of the two opposite sides respectively of the drawer, one channel of each pair of channels and one roller of each pair of rollers being mounted on the fixed structure adjacent the drawer, the other channel of each pair of channels and the other roller of each pair of rollers being mounted on the side of the drawer with said one channel movably engaging said other roller and said other channel movably engaging said one roller.

It is essential that the drawer be guided along a fixed straight path to prevent objectionable side play of the drawer and to avoid any tendency for the drawer to bind. For this reason the two pairs of channels are shaped and dimensioned to hold the corresponding rollers captive in the sense of confining the rollers strictly to straight lines of travel along the channels. For this purpose the edges of the two longitudinal flanges of each channel are turned towards each other to leave a longitudinal gap between the two flanges that is narrower than the diameter of the corresponding roller. Thus in a prevailing type of suspension the four rollers have rounded rims and the flanges of the four channels are correspondingly curved in crosssectional configuration to confine the rollers.

A troublesome difliculty arises in that the opening in a fixed structure, for example the drawer opening in a cabinet or desk varies from the ideal dimensions for various reasons, which reasons include shrinkage and warpage as well as the usual manufacturing tolerances. Since it is much simpler to deal with a situation Where the drawer opening in a fixed structure is too wide than it is to deal with a situation Where the drawer opening in the fixed structure is too narrow, the tolerances are usually set to make the opening in the fixed structure too wide rather than too narrow. The usual problem, therefore, is how to mount a drawer in an opening that is Wider than normal.

Since the channels hold the corresponding rollers captive, the two channels on each side of the drawer must be closely adjacent to the drawer. Consequently spacers or shims are usually employed on one side of the opening of the fixed structure to space a corresponding fixed channel inward from the side of the opening to compensate for the fact that the drawer is narrower than the opening. This solution requires additional material in the form of spacer means or shim means and further requires an additional operation to add to the cost of installing a drawer. In addition the drawer is necessarily located off center With respect to the opening and this misalignment may be obiectionably noticeable.

The present invention meets this situation by confining the rollers on only one side. of the drawer. In other words the nair of channels on one side of the drawer are the usual confi uration with overhanging flanges that hold the corresponding rollers captive. On the other side of the drawer. however. the channels do not hold the rollers captive and the flanges of the channels provide relatively 3,328,106 Patented June 27, 1967 wide flat surfaces for rolling contact with the corresponding rollers. Consequently there is freedom for lateral displacement of the rollers relative to the channels and corresponding freedom for lateral displacement of the channel that is attached to the fixed structure.

The important advantage of the new arrangement is that it is not necessary to provide shims or spacer means and no additional operation is required. It so happens that when a drawer is mounted in an excessively wide opening in the manner provided by the invention, the drawer is oil? center with respect to the opening but in this regard a further feature of the preferred practice of the invention is that the drawer has a separate front panel in addition to the usual front wall and this front panel as attached to the front wall only after the fixed channels are installed on the sides of the opening in the fixed structure. Thus with the drawer installed by means of the two pairs of channels and the two pairs of rollers, the drawer is placed in its closed position and then the separate panel is mounted on the front wall of the drawer with the panel accurately centered with respect to the opening. As a result there is no appearance of misalignment in the finished drawer.

The invention has special importance in a fixed structure where vertical rows of drawers are closely spaced. Interference of the drawers of one row by the drawers of an adjacent row occurs if the drawers are free to depart from accurately positioned and precisely straight paths.

The features and advantages of the invention may be understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, which is to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view largely in phantom showing a drawer with two pairs of rollers on the opposite sides respectively of the drawer and with the auxiliary front panel separate from the front wall of the drawer;

FIG. 2 is a vertical transverse section showing the relative positions of the two pairs of channels and the two pairs of rollers in the finished construction; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section, showing portions of the two channels on one side of the drawer together with the corresponding rollers.

FIG. 1 shows in phantom a drawer having two side walls 10, a bottom Wall 12, a back wall 14 and a front wall 15. The drawer is intended to fit into a correspond ing rectangular opening in a fixed structure such as a cabinet or a desk with the front of the drawer flush with the front of the fixed structure. The drawer is so dimensioned in length that a separate front panel 16 may be mounted on the front wall of the drawer with the front panel flush with the fixed structure when the drawer is closed.

FIG. 2 shows the two fixed side walls 18 of the rectangular opening of the structure in which the drawer is to be mounted. The problem is to compensate for excessive width of the opening in the fixed structure, i.e. excessive spacing of the two side walls 18, without the use of shims, spacers or the like expedients requiring additional material and additional labor.

On the right side of the drawer is a pair of channels comprising a channel 20 with parallel flanges 22 and a channel 24 with similar flanges 25. Unitary with the channel 20 is a bracket 26 carrying a spindle 28 on which a roller 30 is mounted to ride in the channel 24. In like manner unitary with the channel 24 is a bracket 32 carrying a spindle 34 on which is mounted a roller 35 that rides in the channel 20. Both of the rollers 30 and 35 may be made of a suitable plastic such as nylon.

The channel 22' together with the bracket 26 is mounted onthe right side wall of the drawer by suitable screws 36 and the channel 24 together with the bracket 32 is mounted on the corresponding side wall 18 of the fixed structure by suitable screws 38. It is apparent that when the drawer is moved longitudinally in the opening in the fixed structure the roller 30 supports the rear end of the drawer and in doing so travels along the channel 24, whereas the front end of the drawer is supported by the channel 20 in engagement with the roller 35 which rotates on a fixed axis.

It may be noted in FIG. 2 that both of the rollers and have rounded rims and that the flanges 22 of the channel 20 and the flanges 25 of the channel 24 are of curved cross section to conform in a general manner to the rounded rims of the corresponding rollers. Thus the longitudinal flanges of the two channels overlap the corresponding rollers from above and below and the longitudinal gaps between the edges of the flanges of each channel are substantially less in width of the diameter of the corresponding roller. It is apparent that the channel 20 holds the roller 35 captive and the channel 24 holds the roller 30 captive in the sense that in each instance the channel confines the roller strictly to a linear path with no appreciable freedom for deviation of the roller from the predetermined path in the channel.

On the left side of the drawer is a pair of channels comprising a channel which corresponds to channel 20 and a channel 44 which corresponds to channel 24. The channel 40 has parallel flanges 45 and the channel 44 has similar parallel flanges 46. Unitary with the channel 40 is a bracket 47 carrying. a spindle 48 on which is mounted a roller 50 and in like manner a bracket 52 unitary with the channel 44 carries a spindle 54 on which is mounted a roller 55.

The channel 40 together with the bracket 47 is mounted on the side wall 10v of the drawer by suitable screws 56 and the channel 44 together with the bracket 52 is mounted on the stationary side wall 18 of the fixed structure by suitable screws 58. In the manner heretofore described, the roller 48 in cooperation with the channel 44 supports the rear end of the drawer and the roller in cooperation with the channel 40 supports the front end of the drawer.

In the usual manner releasable stop means is provided which normally keeps the drawer from being pulled clear out of the opening in the fixed structure. For this purpose stop pins 60 are mounted on the channels 20 and 40 near the rear ends thereof to cooperate with corresponding stop levers, the stop pin on the channel 20 cooperating with a stop lever 62 that is pivotally mounted on the previously mentioned bracket 52. The rear arm of each of the two levers 62 is longer than the forward arm to overbalance the forward arm so that the lever on the bracket 35 slidingly rests on channel 20 and the lever on the bracket 52 slidingly rests on the channel 40. When the drawer is pulled forward to its normal limit position, the two pins 60 encounter the bent ends of the longer arms of the two levers 62. If it is desired to move a drawer completely from the fixed structure, the two levers 62 may be manipulated to swing their longer arms upward clear of the stop pins 60 to permit the stop pins to move forward under the levers.

As heretofore stated, the two channels 20 and 24 on the right side of the drawer have overhanging longitudinal flanges that confine the corresponding rollers 30 and 35. The present invention departs from the rior art, however, in that on the left side of the drawer the longitudinal flanges 45 of the channel 40 and the longitudinal flanges 46 of the channel 44 are all flat horizontal flanges which are substantially wider than the Width of the corresponding rollers 50 and 55 to permit substantial latitude with respect to the relative positions of the two channels. In FIG. 2 where the opening on the fixed structure is wider than it need be to accommodate the drawer, the fixed bracket 44 on the left side of the drawer is displaced to the left relative to the corresponding roller 50 that travels with the drawer and relative to the channel 40 that travels with the drawer. Thus the roller 50 that travels with the drawer is displaced appreciably away from the web of the corresponding stationary channel 44 and in like manner the roller 55 that rotates on a fixed axis is spaced appreciably from the central web of the corresponding channel 40 that travels with the drawer. It is apparent in FIG. 2 that even if the opening in the fixed structure were wider than shown, the roller 50 could still cooperate with the channel 44 and the roller 55 could still cooperate with the channel 40.

It may be readily appreciated that no more time would be required to install the drawer in an opening of excessive width than would be required to install the drawer in an accurately dimensioned opening. It may also be appreciated that if the opening is out of true becauseof shrinkage or warpage, the drawer could be installed in the same simple manner.

It may be seen in FIG. 2 that because the width of the opening in the fixed structure is excessive the drawer is positioned closer to the right wall of the opening than to the left wall. The final step which is taken after the drawer is installed as described to this point consists in anchoring the front panel 16 to the front wall 15 of the drawer. With the drawer in its limit closed position the panel 16 is centered in the front of the opening in the fixed structure and is then anchored to the front wall 15 of the drawer, for example by suitable screws. If necessary the front panel 16 may be trimmed to conform with the cross-sectional configuration of the opening in the fixed structure. When the front panel 16 is mounted in this manner it results in the pleasing appearance of the drawer being accurately centered in the opening in the fixed structure.

My description in specific detail of the selected embodiment of the invention will suggest various changes, substitutions and other departures from my disclosure within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a suspension for mounting a drawer for longitudinal movement in an opening in fixed structure, wherein a pair of channels with longitudinal flanges and a pair of rollers are arranged on each of the two opposite sides of the drawer, one channel of each pair of channels and one roller of each pair of rollers being mounted on the fixed structure, the other channel of each pair of channels and the other roller of each pair of rollers being mounted on the side of the drawer with said one channel movably engaging said other roller and said other channel movably engaging said one roller, the improvement comprising:

the flanges of the pair of channels on one side of the drawer being spaced apart at their outer edges by less than the diameter of the corresponding rollers for confinement of the rollers by the channels to substantially prevent lateral relative movement between the two channels of said one pair and to guide the drawer on a predetermined straight path with substantially no side play; and the flanges of the other pair of channels on the other side of the drawer being spaced apart by dimensions greater than the diameters of the corresponding rollers and providing relatively wide flat surfaces for rolling engagement by the corresponding rollers to avoid confinement of the corresponding rollers to permit lateral displacement relative to each other of the two channels of said other pair of channels to compensate for variations in width of the opening in the fixed structure relative to the width of the drawer. 2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the rollers on said one side of the drawer have rounded rims and the flanges of the corresponding pair of channels are correspondingly curved in cross-sectional configuration.

3. In a suspension for mounting a drawer for longitudinal movement in an opening in fixed structure, wherein a pair of channels with longitudinal flanges and a pair of rollers are arranged on each of the two opposite sides of the drawer, one channel of each pair of channels and one roller of each pair of rollers being mounted on the fixed structure, the other channel of each pair of channels and the other roller of each pair of rollers being mounted on the side of the drawer with said one channel movably engaging said other roller and said other channel movably engaging said one roller, the improvement comprising:

the flanges of the pair of channels on one side of the drawer being turned towards each other with the distance between the edges of the flanges less than the diameters of the corresponding rollers for confinement of the rollers by the channels to substantially prevent lateral relative movement between the two channels of said one pair to guide the drawer on a predetermined straight path with substantially no side play; and

the flanges of the other pair of channels on the other side of the drawer being substantially straight to avoid con-finement of the corresponding rollers to permit lateral displacement relative to each other of the two channels of said other pair of channels to compensate for variations in width of the opening in the fixed structure relative to the width of the drawer.

4. In a drawer and a suspension for mounting the drawer for longitudinal movement in an opening in a fixed structure, wherein a pair of channels with longitudinal flanges and a pair of rollers are arranged on each of the two opposite sides, respectively, of the drawer, one channel of each pair of channels and one roller of each pair of rollers being mounted on the fixed structure, the other channel of each pair of channels and the other roller of each pair of rollers being mounted on the side of the drawer with said one channel movably engaging said other roller and said other channel movably engaging said one roller, the improvement comprising:

the flanges of the pair of channels on one side of the drawer being spaced apart at their outer edges by less than the diameter of the corresponding rollers for confinement of the rollers by the channels to substantially prevent lateral relative movement between the two channels of said one pair and to guide the drawer on a predetermined straight path with substantially no side play;

the flanges of the other pair of channels on the other side of the drawer being spaced apart by dimensions greater than the diameters of the corresponding rollers and providing relatively wide flat surfaces for rolling engagement by the corresponding rollers to avoid confinement of the corresponding rollers to permit lateral displacement relative to each other of the two channels of said other pair of channels to compensate for variations in width of the opening in the fixed structure relative to the width of the drawer; and

the drawer being provided with a separate front panel to be centered in the opening and attached to the drawer after the drawer is mounted in the opening by means of the channels and rollers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,739,028 3/1956 Siggi'a 312-341 3,099,501 7/1963 Hillson et a1 312-341 X FOREIGN PATENTS 74,788 11/ 1945 Czechoslovakia. 1,135,172 12/1956 =France.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. JAMES T. MCCALL, Examiner. 

1. IN A SUSPENSION FOR MOUNTING A DRAWER FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT IN AN OPENING IN FIXED STRUCTURE, WHEREIN A PAIR OF CHANNELS WITH LONGITUDINAL FLANGES AND A PAIR OF ROLLERS ARE ARRANGED ON EACH OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE DRAWER, ONE CHANNEL OF EACH PAIR OF CHANNELS AND ONE ROLLER OF EACH PAIR OF ROLLERS BEING MOUNTED ON THE FIXED STRUCTURE, THE OTHER CHANNEL OF EACH PAIR OF CHANNELS AND THE OTHER ROLLER OF EACH PAIR OF ROLLER BEING MOUNTED ON THE SIDE OF THE DRAWER WITH SAID ONE CHANNEL MOVABLY ENGAGING SAID OTHER ROLLER AND SAID OTHER CHANNEL MOVABLY ENGAGING SAID ONE ROLLER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: THE FLANGES OF THE PAIR OF CHANNELS ON ONE SIDE OF THE DRAWER BEING SPACED APART AT THEIR OUTER EDGES BY LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE CORRESPONDING ROLLERS FOR CONFINEMENT OF THE ROLLERS BY THE CHANNELS TO SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENT LATERAL RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO CHANNELS OF SAID ONE PAIR AND TO GUIDE THE DRAWER ON A PREDETERMINED STRAIGHT PATH WITH SUBSTANTIALLY NO SIDE PLAY; AND THE FLANGES OF THE OTHER PAIR OF CHANNELS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DRAWER BEING SPACED APART BY DIMENSIONS GREATER THAN THE DIAMETERS OF THE CORRESPONDING ROLLERS AND PROVIDING RELATIVELY WIDE FLAT SURFACES FOR ROLLING ENGAGEMENT BY THE CORRESPONDING ROLLERS TO AVOID CONFINEMENT OF THE CORRESPONDING ROLLERS TO PERMIT LATERAL DISPLACEMENT RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER OF THE TWO CHANNELS OF SAID OTHER PAIR OF CHANNELS TO COMPENSATE FOR VARIATIONS IN WIDTH OF THE OPENING IN THE FIXED STRUCTURE RELATIVE TO THE WIDTH OF THE DRAWER. 